It was “Black Tuesday” in St. Louis. A cloud of thick smoke covered downtown. The streetlights had to be turned on and traffic was snarled because motorists couldn’t see where they were going.

This post was contributed by Ross Malone. A historian and a retired school teacher, Ross has authored many books about Missouri’s history, weird facts, and folk tales. He has also written children’s historical fiction. Visit his website, and buy his books in the Missouri Life store.